Like me, you may have assumed that Cacace (25-1, 9 KO), , was repeating his IBF tactics of ignoring his mandatory challenger in favor of big-money domestic tussles until the time came to ditch the belt. As it turns out, Queensberry attempted negotiations with secondary titlist Elnur Samedov (22-1, 11 KO) and aimed to stage the bout in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately,
The situation became more complicated when the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) rejected the request for Samedov to compete in the United Kingdom. The decision was subsequently upheld by the British authority after reviewing documentation related to the fighter’s citizenship and residency. As a result, negotiations between the two promoters were suspended.The statement doesn’t elaborate on what went into “reviewing documentation.” Samedov was born in Azerbaijan but lives and fights out of Russia, which has not exactly endeared itself to its fellows in the international stage of late.
In an attempt to split the baby, the WBA will revive its “super” champion designation and shunt Cacace into the slot while simultaneously upgrading Samedov from “regular” to world titlist. Cacace still gets to fight Ball (23-1-1, 13 KO), but must then face Samedov “in neutral territory, at a venue approved by all parties involved, and on a date to be determined by the WBA Championships Committee.”
Sounds like way too many moving parts to me. Honestly wouldn’t be shocked to see Cacace bin another belt; he’s 37 and may not want to spend the last bit of his career anywhere but on the biggest stages.
